Phoenix Public Library

The Phoenix Public Library is a municipal library system serving Phoenix, Arizona, and operated by the city of Phoenix. There are 16 branches currently in operation citywide, anchored by the flagship Burton Barr Central Library on the northern edge of downtown Phoenix. Four of the 16 locations were designed by prominent local architect Will Bruder: the Burton Barr central library,[1] the Cholla branch location at Metrocenter Mall,[2] the Mesquite branch at Paradise Valley Mall,[3] and the Agave branch in far northwest Phoenix.[4]

The library traces its origins to 1897 when a group of citizens decided to raise funds for a library. This group, the Friday Club, consisting of women of upper social-economic standing with the same interests of advancement and intellect and social standing for themselves, sought to establish and organize the first public library in Phoenix. By opening day, the library consisted of 1,500 titles.[5] In 1904, industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated money for a library building on Washington Street near the state capital; this building is still in operation as a museum, archives and research center operated by the state of Arizona.[6]

With the explosive growth of Phoenix after World War II, new branches were added citywide. A Central Library was opened in 1953 (replacing the Carnegie Library as Phoenix's main library location), but replaced by the aforementioned Burton Barr Central Library in 1995 (its building is now part of the Phoenix Art Museum).[7]